Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-02-17
Aoa tp ,hls reason. therefore, ~,


ia0e hNl also a short distance on the
loal towards home A he'saya, thu |
evening Ia go lovely and tho halmy, |
outer an viii do him good, Shois toll
Ing him Why she does not exactly |
knew something about thclr troubles
NJ home since "dear father" died. She
likes TO talk of him even now, she
SAYS not to bn forever silent about tho
one whom they had lost, MS Is the fash
lon with SO many people.
unclc Fred quito understands her,
and agrees with her also; and yet
strange, perhaps somewhat, on his
part. he has never once referred, In
thus chatting with her, TO the one
trouble that has served SO sadly to shad-
ow his own life, No; he only listens to
her now, it seems.
'In fact, you know" went on "Miss
josephine quite simply, che had not
penny left in the house. 1t was too
dreadful, SIR"
She paused moment; then went on,
in the least degree nervously:
"Shall l tell you what didp"
"Yes."
~ advertised, then, in the county
paper-don't be shocked, please. At
any rate, did it for the best-whcther
right or wrong, Idon't quite know
s.Go on
81 merely said, then, that widow
and her daughters-all born to better
things, as it had seemed-were suddenly
thrown into the lowest depths of pow
erty-and asked for help"
Uncle Fred gave sort of slight nerv-
Gus start at this moment, but ''Miss
Josephine" did not notice it. She was
thinking only at that instant of the ter
rible struggle which had urged her to
take such step as that which she was
now describing.
"And the RESULT" he asked, quietly.
"What was itp'
mo answer came" she returned,
gravely, but earnestly. POSSIBLY
those who read the words did not
believe in their truth or possibly some
did so who were not in position to aid
u.s. rax ~ gvyr- ~
81 see," and Uncle Fred spoke now,
as if dreamily There l must leave
you, Miss Josephine. Very sorry for it.
very sorry, indeed. Have just sud-
denly remembered something. You'll
excuse my running away thus abruptly;
won't youp Will be a trife more court
eous next time. Horribly hard-hearted
of the people; wasn't it, Miss Jose
| phine?" And thus talking glibly-as
if, too, he did not exactly know what he
was saying-Uncle Fred lifted his hat
and disappeared.
The following Thursday morning,
just as "Miss josephine" was starting
for her usual daily occupation, letter
was placed in her hand by thepostman
after reading which, that young lady
marched deliberately upstairs again,
removed her hat and cloak, chased
away with her pocket-handkerchief a
great many tears that for some reason
or ether would insist upon pouring
down her cheeks, and then set to work
to resreads thefollowing words:
DEAR MISS JesEpHINE: Pardon my, abrupt
leave-taking yesterday; but will now explain.
Returning home expressly by way of the post
Office did small stroke Of business there on
| oNuf, = % o.. =
miss Elsie Falconbridge was out having
gone to spend the evehing with the widowed,
and, alas now childless mother of her once,
and so lately, too, sailor, lover. I'VE have how
ever, already spoken together--you and LOT
this unlocked for event, and also Of the brave
way In which Miss Elsie bears the heavy Blow.
But would now speak OF something else
50 selfish are we all III this world, you see.
persuaded the good dame, Janet Lisle, to assist
me in something which was puzzling me not a
little
II heard last evening, for the first time, OF
course-and also from your own lips, most
strange to say-that twenty dollar note, which
had sent you in answer to your advertisement
asking for aid never reached you. 1t had not,
I now find. miscarried in the ordinary way that
letters do occasionally go astray; but II was as
impossible, you will presently see, that it should
ever have reached your abode, as the residence
of one Of the ancient patriarchs.
1.-THE letter containing the amount named
was, it appears, although placed in a registered
envelope for. which l duly paid, never dis
patched; and in the hurry-skurry of the mo
ment 1t was never entered, either, in the oficia
book. The fault was, of course, my own, quite
as much as that Of any one else but every one
was asking hurried questions at the moment
and my letter-yours, rather-paid the penalty
Then, as fate would have 1t, 1t landed itsel
otherwise than in the legitimate post-bag, ant
dropped, how, is best known to itself, behint
drawer that is rarely opened.
Forgive the details, however Janet Lislt
had only discovered the thus hidden-away mis-
sive half an hour before I appeared upon thu
scene-mark the colncidence-and' was In |
state of no little CONSERVATION.
Picture also my own dismay
"The mystery, however, is now solved.
81 will not again tender the amount for you
acceptance, as there certainly seems TO b,
!, something unfortunate attending its career
besides which, l. on my part, am going TO ask
favor from yourself
"Will you, I ask, become my wises-and ais,
/ kindly acknowledge promptly the receipt o
this letter, or shall be compelled to take it 70
granted that my second communication ha
shared the fate Of my first.
, UNCLE FRED"
"Miss Josephine" like wis,
woman, answered the letter just re
, ceived by return of post.
f The years have flown since then, ant
d matters go on much as usual in tina
Y small township of Lammerton.
/, But there are changes, nevertheless
: Janet Lisle knows her place no NOR
: in the cozy little post-office. She ha
e already gone home long since to rest
1 and sweet Elsie Falconbridge is nov
d the mistress of every thing. Her hair
2 however. though still beautiful, is il
S these days white-white as the driver
, snow; and the abiding expression upol
her still handsome face is that of on
t who has passed through mighty an
t also terrible sea of trouble, and born
n tho trial only tt.rta harnipa anIl1